Police look for mom who left hospital with child

PHOENIX — Police are looking for a mother who left Phoenix Children’s Hospital with her 11-year-old daughter while the child still had a catheter in her heart.

Police Sgt. Steve Martos said detectives are concerned about the girl’s welfare. If the catheter isn’t removed medically, it could potentially become infected and the girl could die.

Martos said detectives haven’t been able to find the girl and her family. They’ve checked addresses locally and out of state.

The girl had been brought to the hospital by her parents — identified only as Luis and Norma — to receive treatment for leukemia. That’s when a catheter was placed into her heart. She also had to have her arm amputated because of infection.

Police said the mother removed the intravenous line from the catheter, changed her daughter’s clothes and walked her out of the hospital Wednesday night.